Personal and Scientific Nezvs. 6i 
Marcus Baker, well known as a member of the corps of 
the United States Geological Survey, died of heart disease at 
Washington, Dec. 12. He was best known as a cartographer, 
was formerly connected with the Coast and Geodetic survey 
and spent several years in explorations in Alaska. He was 
cartographer for the Venezuelan Boundary Commission. 
John Robert Proctor, president of the United States Civil 
Service Commission since December, 1893, died suddenly at 
the Cosmos Club, Washington, on December 12th. He was 
born in Mason county, Kentucky, on March i6th, 1844; was 
assistant on the Kentucky Geological Survey, under professor 
N. S. Shaler, from 1873 to 1880: and was state geologist'of 
Kentucky from 1880 to 1893. 
The Standard Dictionary. The new "twentieth cen- 
tury" edition of this w-ell known work maintains the reputation 
which the first edition earned of being the most complete, the 
most concise, and the most accurate dictionary of the English 
language. Including the seventeen thousand words of the 
"Addenda." it defines about forty per cent more vocabulary 
words and phrases than the Century, and more than twice as 
manv as any other dictionary. It must be used in order to ap- 
preciate its fullness and accuracy in defining scientific terms. 
Special features of t.ie new edition include a plate illustrating 
the mechanism of wireless telegraphy, a plate in natural colors 
showing ninety-three American and European butterflies and 
moths, fovir pages illustrating the apparatus and results of 
Roentgen rays, and addenda which include under a alone some 
thirty-five additional mineral names, and twenty geologic and 
petrographic terms, only six of which fifty-five terms are de- 
fined in the leading rival of this work. 
International Congress of Geologists — Ninth Ses- 
sion. At this congress, held at \'ienna, last August, the va- 
rious countries were represented as follows Algiers — Tunis, 
by 2; Germany, by 76; Austria-Hungary, 123; Belgium, 6; 
Bulgaria, 3 ; Canada, 2 ; Spain, 2 ; United States, 22 ; France, 
31 ; Great Britain, 12; Greece, i ; East Indies, i ; Italy. 6; Ja- 
pan, 2; Mexico, i; Netherlands (Pays Bas), i; Portugal, i; 
Argentine Republic, i ; Roumania, 6 ; Russia. 33 ; Servia, 4 ; 
Sweden, 5; Switzerland. 14. 
Americans present were the following : Drs. Robert Bell 
and T. L. Walker (of Canada) ; J. G. Aguilera (of Mexico) : 
G. F. Becker (and wife); E. Blackwelder ; A. S. Bickmore 
(and wife) : S. F. Emmons (and wife) ; H. L. Fairchild ; T. 
C. Hopkins: E. O. Hovey (and wife) ; H. F. Reid : C. Schu- 
chert : J. W. Spencer (and wife) ; C. R. Van Hise (wife and 
daughter) ; T. W. Vaughan ; H. A. Ward ; L. F. Ward : and 
B. Willis. 
The total number in attendance was 357. 
